“On the Fly”
12 Questions in 12 Minutes with ATWT’s Mary Beth Evans
Soap Opera Weekly
By Tonya Lensch
April 26, 2005
Mary Beth Evans is a woman on a mission. While shopping for her daughter Katie’s 15th birthday present, she phones in to report how things are going playing Sierra on As The World Turns, including that cross-country commute.
1. Did you find something for your daughter?
I bought a pair of jeans that she wanted. You know how kids are–they’re so funny about their jeans.
2. How is the commute going?
It hasn’t been that bad. I have Bose (brand name) earphones that I put on the second I get on the plane. I don’t talk to people anymore on the plane because it ends up being too much input (laughs). I thought I’d be Miss Chatty with everybody; but it’s just too tiring. Usually I’m dead asleep for an hour and a half, which I never did before. It’s a six hour return trip to L.A., but there are so many people on the show that commute 3 hours a day from Connecticut, so it seems almost easier to do this.
3. How’s the family handling it?
My husband has to run around like a crazy person, but it’s been ok.
4. Have you missed any big events?
My daughter’s birthday. I flew on my birthday. I was gone on my son’s birthday. I was home for my other son’s birthday. That part is a little bit hard, but I think adversity builds character for all of us.
5. What do you do when you’re in New York?
I had my gym membership expanded. It’s kind of crazy to get on a treadmill– you have to wait forever. There are a couple of places where I love to eat in Greenwich Village.
6. How are things going at the show?
It’s a hard-working, normal group of people who just try to do the best they can and go home to their families. That’s the kind of environment that I like to work in. It’s fun having Kin there now. I did two different soaps with him. When I was like 20, we did Rituals and then we did General Hospital together for a long time. I love giving him a hard time.
7. Would you like for your two characters to hook up?
It’d be hilarious. We know each other so well. I’m open to anything.
8. What do you think of a possible Dusty/Sierra relationship?
I think it would be fun. You have to try to suspend the truth a bit because she’s so devoted to her daughter, and he was so devoted to her, too. If something was to happen, it would have to happen over time, not instantly. I did that story on General Hospital with Stefan and Nikolas. It’s not that shocking, but for these particular characters, it might be. I’d love for her to have some sort of love relationship, where it’s not necessarily reacting to other people’s stories.
9. Do you like working with Grayson McCouch (Dusty)?
I love him. He cracks me up and he makes great choices that are different.
10. What about re-exploring Craig and Sierra’s relationship?
They have a very complicated relationship. I think she will always love him and will always fight for him. She’s conflicted about what her feelings are for him. I love that story of the couple that have meant a lot to each other, but who are no longer in that situation. But I wouldn’t lock someone in a monastery (laughs).
11. Do you miss Peyton List (Lucy)?
I do. She’s out in California, so I should hook up with her. She is truly one of the sweetest people I have ever met and solid and grounded and mature and beautiful. She’s a doll. I think she’s going to go far. She’s like a Natalie Portman.
12. Have you enjoyed Sierra having more scenes with Lucinda?
I love working with Elizabeth Hubbard. We always talk about decorating and paint colors. She’s like a real mother. She found a pair of these fun, colorful rain boots and brought them in one day, and said “Here–I thought your daughter might like these”. It was very sweet, so I took them home to my daughter and sent Liz a candle as a thank you and she said, “What if we keep this up? We’ll just keep mailing things back and forth to each other.”
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